Long Time Gone
by xXBalorBabeXx
Summary: "Turn, turn any corner. Hear, you must hear what the people say. You know there's something that's goin' on around here that surely, surely, surely won't stand the light of day, no..." Amanda and Finn knew that trying to find some privacy wouldn't be easy... but they didn't know just how things would turn out.
1. Time Away

_**A/N: Bryan and his family, Ashley, TJ, Brigette, Kyle, Ivy, Tyler (Kyle and Ivy will be in flashbacks only and Tyler was born as Rhys), Bo, Rue and her family and Natasha are werewolf-queen-022's characters.**_

_**October 18th 2015…**_

_Amanda went wide eyed, then narrowed her eyes… and then closed the hotel room door, packing her things up and grabbing her white LG G4, texting Finn._

_'Sleepover's cancelled, heading towards your room.'_

_And Finn responded quickly as he knew it involved Ashley and Seth._

_'Seth is with her isn't he?'_

_'And I've had it with being shoved aside and her kicking aside plans we made tonight, they can fuck in both beds for all I care!' Amanda responded before grabbing her duffel bag… at the moment Ashley walked in, Ashley turning startled._

_"Mandy… I didn't expect you to be back so soon." Ashley responded._

_"Go smash your fuckbuddy!" Amanda spat out, barely walking into the hallway before Ashley turned her around._

_"It isn't like that at all!" Ashley snapped._

_"That's what both of you said about me and Finn when you damn well know that Finn and I are only friends!" Amanda retorted before Seth reached them and tried to prevent Amanda from leaving… only to be punched in the nose, Ashley helping Seth stay standing as Amanda left._

_"She's pissed…" Seth replied._

_"She's hurt, not pissed." Ashley responded, before closing the door._

_"Well at least we admit we are together unlike them." Seth replied._

_"I don't want to talk about that at all." Ashley retorted before walking into the bathroom and slamming the door shut._

_Amanda reached the 7th floor and room 754, Finn letting her into the room before closing and locking the door and the two embracing each other… and Finn rubbing Amanda's back as Amanda tried to hold back tears._

_"It's okay. You don't have to deal with them anymore, Darlin'." Finn whispered as he cradled Amanda's face in his hands and brushed her tears away._

_"Why do they see us as being in the wrong? All we did was get to know each other. How can two people always on the road refuse to accept that everyone just gets close to each other?" Amanda replied quietly._

_"He's not gonna cope with it when Ashley leaves with Redbull tomorrow." Finn responded._

_"Too damn bad for them then." Amanda replied, Finn getting her to drink some water after she took her makeup off and was in her pajamas… and once she was in the bed, Finn had a washcloth on her head and saw a text from Bryan on his IPhone 6._

_'Hey, Tiny just ran out of the room she and Ash were in! You've seen her?!'_

_'Got her here with me, Ash and Seth were hypocritical and acted like she should've just stayed there and ignored it.' Finn replied as he brushed Amanda's shoulder length hair back, Bryan responding quickly._

_'If you have the things in there to make a hot toddy, it usually helps to calm her.'_

_Finn mixed up the drink after putting the now hot water in a Styrofoam cup, handing it to Amanda and her slowly drinking it… and Amanda feeling the alcohol set in as Finn grabbed a beer for himself._

_"To how we are… anyone who hates it can go to hell." Finn replied._

_"To making our choices, others' opinions be damned." Amanda responded, clinking their glasses together before they finished their drinks and Finn threw the beer bottle and cup away before he got in the bed and her head rested on his right shoulder before she closed her eyes._

_'Ashley just doesn't care anymore since that childish feud with her brothers… so much for family before lover.' Finn thought, kissing Amanda's forehead before closing his eyes._

_They knew that they could rely on each other for anything… and Finn knew that Amanda felt like Ashley was holding something back._

_But Amanda was through giving a damn…_

**Present time**_**, January 18th 2016…**_

Amanda opened her eyes, grabbing her newly bought Samsung Galaxy Note 5 as Ashley had broken her LG G4 in a fit of rage yesterday… and Amanda saw a text from TJ.

_'So this is how it'll be? You'll never talk to your sister again? It's been three damn months, Tiny!'_

Amanda deleted the text out of frustration and put her phone on sleep mode before putting it aside, Finn still asleep… and Amanda moving closer to him, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his left shoulder.

She closed her eyes as the sun wasn't up yet… and Finn nuzzled his face into Amanda's hair, kissing the right side of her head before settling back into sleep.

When they had gotten outside and scaled down the drainpipe after managing to find it, TJ and Bo jumped down and onto the balcony and tried to open the glass doors that led to the hotel room Finn and Amanda were staying in… but they couldn't.

"Damn! Locked!" TJ hissed.

Bo grabbed a chair and broke the glass doors, Finn and Amanda shielding themselves as they were woken up by the loud noise and Amanda turned the lights on… and her and Finn realised that they weren't being robbed but had been barged in on.

"What the fucking hell, you idiots?! Are you trying to give us heart attacks?!" Finn yelled after he and Amanda got up out of the bed.

"We want the Mandy we knew to come back! Ever since you walked into her life, she's changed!" TJ shouted.

Amanda jumped over the bed, dragging TJ by his ears and to the door as he yelled in pain.

Bo tried to intervene but Finn tackled him and slammed his head into the wall before dropping him and unlocking the door… and he and Amanda threw TJ and Bo out before slamming and locking the door.

Finn picked up his IPhone 6, dialing 911 and reporting the incident as he held Amanda.

The police handcuffed TJ and Bo before they read them their rights and hauled them off, Amanda and Finn grabbing their things and hotel security escorting them to a new room and apologising for what had happened.

Unable to fall back asleep, Amanda and Finn watched _Sid and Nancy _to calm their nerves.

They didn't care if Ashley, Seth or Brigette would be pissed off about Bo and TJ winding up in police custody.


	2. Searching For Calm

_**October 19th 2015...**_

_TJ looked around the hotel with Bo and Brigette following him._

_"She's never late so where is she?" TJ replied._

_"You told her to meet up with us in the lobby right?" Bo asked._

_"Of course I did why wouldn't I?" TJ replied before the elevator door open and Ashley walked out._

_"This ain't good." Bo responded as Ashley was wearing a hoodie and sunglasses that covered her face._

_"Hungover." Ashley stated._

_"Whoa! Hardy drinks!" Bo responded._

_"Sleepover went wrong?" Brigette asked._

_"This is one of those things where you just don't ask." Ashley answered._

_"Ash…" Brigette responded._

_"I made her feel neglected, she went to her boytoy." Ashley explained._

_"5'11", dark hair, blue eyes and 34 years old?" TJ responded, Bo spitting out his Pepsi._

_"34?! Tiny's barely 25!" Bo replied._

_"As I said don't ask." Ashley responded before heading out to RV as the elevator door opened again, Amanda and Finn walking out._

_"That's him right?" Bo whispered._

_"Let's get out of here." TJ replied._

_"I'm never drinking a hot toddy again, my eyes feel like they're gonna explode." Amanda muttered, Finn lightly rubbing her back._

_"Bo, Bo, Bo! No!" TJ shouted as Bo stormed over and punched Finn in the face._

_"Find someone to fuck that's your age creep!" Bo yelled before he left, TJ and Brigette standing there wide eyed._

_Amanda helped Finn up and checked on him, TJ and Brigette running to them._

_"What's gotten into Bo?!" Finn asked._

_"He's just a bit overprotective." TJ answered._

_"A bit? I'm not that 17 year old he found hitchhiking away from an abusive asshole anymore." Amanda responded._

_"Doesn't matter how old you get he will beat the shit out of the guy you date, especially if they are over 30." TJ replied._

_Amanda held the ice pack to Finn's eye after thanking Brigette for it… and the blonde saw that Amanda had no makeup on and her eyes were puffy._

_"Listen, whatever happened between you and Ash, I'm sure things will work out. Kiddo, she's your sister." Brigette replied._

_The two hugged and Brigette kissed Amanda's forehead._

_Bo and Ashley were in the RV, Bo still seething._

_"You got guts to punch him." Ashley said._

_"He had it coming, fucking creepy prick." Bo replied._

_"Flashbacks of Mandy all bruised and bleeding hit you again?" Ashley asked._

_"He's 34 and she's 25!" Bo exclaimed._

_"I don't like the age difference either… but he is gentle to her from what I've seen." Ashley explained._

_"Well you never know what's going on behind closed doors." Bo said._

_"True." Ashley replied, glancing into the hotel. "Why are her eyes all puffy?" She responded._

_"Ah-ha! More proof for me to bash him!" Bo yelled before leaving._

_He ran into the hotel, Amanda standing up._

_"Here's what happened, there was more bourbon in the hot toddy I drank. And I was crying last night, Bo. Finn has never hurt me so calm your ass down!" Amanda explained._

_Bo looked to TJ and Brigette, the two confirming it with a nod… and Bo headed outside._

_Finn lightly rubbed Amanda's back, placing the ice pack to her reddened eyes to soothe them._

_"How the fuck do you have the power to calm down a 6'5" man?!" TJ asked._

_"Years of experience, TJ." Amanda responded as they hugged, her and Finn going to the American Airlines Center._

_Land Of Confusion by Genesis played through Amanda's earbuds as she was in her new ring outfit, a black crisscrossed cropped top with white slash marks printed on them and the black shorts patterned the same way as an homage to the late Chris Benoit._

_She tied her ring boots before strapping her kick pads on, finishing her 3rd cup of coffee and Finn seeing that she fixed up her nails with Ella + Mila's All About The Base base coat, Ella + Mila's Lights Out and Ella + Mila's In A Rush top coat._

_"Mind still on last night, Babe?" Finn asked, calling Amanda by one of her many nicknames after Amanda closed out Spotify and put her phone and earbuds aside after unplugging her earbuds._

_"I want to strangle both of them. But Brigette's right, things will cool down… at some point." Amanda responded as Finn pulled her into a hug._

_But both had a feeling things would just get worse…_

**Present time**_**, January 18th 2016…**_

"That bastard had us arrested! And Tiny didn't stop him!" TJ responded, still in disbelief.

"I wish she had stopped him. But Ash will be here soon." Bo explained before they saw a police officer led Ashley to the cell.

"They had you two arrested?! They actually had you two arrested?!" Ashley asked.

"Well technically, we broke into the room Finn and Tiny were in." Bo replied.

"And it was Finn who had us arrested but Tiny didn't stop him. I think we finally threw her past her breaking point, she wants nothing to do with us." TJ explained, the police officer unlocking and opening the door before letting them out.

"You two jump bail and you'll have to worry about me more than you'll have to worry about a bounty hunter, we clear?" Ashley responded firmly.

"We're clear." TJ and Bo replied.

_Hurricane _by Bob Dylan played through Amanda's white and gold earbuds after she and Finn got ready for the day, Finn driving the rented Equinox… and Finn knew she was zoned out, protest songs having that effect on her.

Finn lightly rubbed Amanda's left knee, Amanda closing out Spotify and putting her phone and earbuds in her coat pocket after unplugging her earbuds as _Hero _by David Crosby played on the radio.

"I'm sorry they scared the hell out of you, Darlin'." Finn responded.

"You don't have to apologise, Babe. I'm just hoping they'll stay locked up but I doubt they will. They most likely got bailed out… this isn't like me but I'm hoping they jump bail and end up in jail again. It'll teach them not to fuck with the law." Amanda replied, Finn kissing her forehead.

"Damn right it will." Finn responded, his right hand back on the steering wheel as _I'm Into Something Good _by Herman's Hermits began to play and he sang along to it as Amanda smiled and joined in.

At the Nationwide Arena, _Long Time Gone _by Crosby, Stills & Nash played through Amanda's earbuds as she read the script for tonight's episode of Raw… and saw an infuriated text from Ashley.

_'You and your boyfriend or whatever the hell he is think it's okay to have Bo and TJ arrested?! Maybe you should pull your head up from Finn's lap and find your loyalty again!'_

_'How's this for loyalty, you brain dead bitch?!' _Amanda thought as she blocked Ashley's number and blocked her from Twitter and Instagram after deleting the pictures of her and Ashley and posts and videos about them.

As far as Amanda was concerned, Ashley had only seen her as family when it was convenient for Ashley… and Amanda had enough of being used.


	3. Family Should Mean More To Her

_**September 25th 2015, Third person perspective…**_

_Rue woke up and decided to check on Amanda and Finn… and found them curled up on Finn's king sized bed._

"_Aw they're too cute to be just friends." Rue said before leaving them alone._

_She headed downstairs to see what she could order for dinner and saw a rental car outside before she saw Ashley._

"_Uh excuse me but who are you?" Rue asked._

"_Friend of the woman that lives here. Sister, actually." Ashley replied._

"_5'1", shoulder length chestnut brown hair, hazel eyes and one of them bruised?" Rue asked._

"_Her right eye?" Ashley replied._

"_Yeah, someone punched her pretty damn hard. Someone who Finn told me gets angry a lot and tries to pull Mandy away from him." Rue responded._

"_Who are you exactly?" Ashley asked._

"_I'm Rue, I'm a friend of Finn's." Rue replied._

"_That explains it." Ashley responded._

"_She's been in your life since you two were kids… protected each other, helped each other through hell even when the other didn't want it. Maybe it's best if Mandy has a little distance from Seth. To clear both their heads." Rue explained._

"_Really?" Ashley asked._

"_Any man who punches a woman, who resorts to that needs to back off. I saw the scar under Mandy's shoulder blade, the scars near her left eye… you protected her from one violent man. Hearing this from someone who wasn't there… is it helping clear your mind a bit?" Rue responded._

_Ashley turned after hearing footsteps… but her mouth fell open in shock when she saw Amanda's bruised eye, bruised ankle and scratched up knee._

"_Ah so now your little hazel eyes have opened." Rue said to Ashley._

"_What happened?!" Ashley asked._

"_Seth went crazy on Monday night, then a jogger went crazy at me earlier today." Amanda explained, her undamaged phone in her hand as Finn helped her sit down._

_Ashley took a picture of the bruised eye and sent it to Seth with the text 'You realise that what you did to her was assault, right?!'._

_Seth hadn't responded… and that had Ashley worried._

"_When he doesn't answer, that means he's either drunk or is avoiding the truth." Amanda replied._

"_Or he's in bed with another woman." Finn muttered, Ashley glaring at him and Rue turning startled._

"_He's a cheater?!" Rue asked._

"_He cheated on his ex fiancee for months and then slept around behind his mistress's back." Amanda explained, Ashley turning to her. "What? I tried telling you this last time but you wouldn't listen." She responded._

"_And why should I? People change, Mandy. That includes you throwing Seth aside when Finn showed up, you started spreading your legs for Finn and it didn't take long, did it, you little tramp?!" Ashley replied, shouting the last part._

_And that was what set Amanda off… the brunette punched Ashley right in the nose and tackled her as the fight escalated and Finn pulling Amanda back as Rue pulled Ashley away._

"_Calm down, both of you!" Rue responded._

"_Rue's right, now's not the time to fight!" Finn replied as he tightened his grip on Amanda._

"_I hate you, Amanda!" Ashley yelled as she tried to get free._

"_Fine! If that's how you truly feel, then go! I tried telling you the truth but you just don't want to listen to me, you want to listen to some guy you've only been with for not even a month. So just fucking go! I hope he's truly worth it!" Amanda shouted before Ashley left, slamming the door. _

_Finn loosened his grip to a more relaxed one around Amanda's waist, kissing her on her right shoulder before resting his head on it._

"_I'm sorry, guys, I really thought she'd listen." Rue responded._

"_I'm the one who went off at the little bitch. I want to think that she's on drugs again but Ashley Louise Hardy is just a depraved person who lost her morality a long time ago. Seth can have her and they can both stay out of mine and Finn's lives… that works just fine." Amanda replied before Finn turned her to him and held her closer to him._

_Amanda wrapped her arms around him as her tears fell and Finn kissed the side of her head as he rubbed his right hand up and down her back as she buried her face into his torso… and Rue had the feeling that Amanda had been hurt one too many times in her life._

_Finn picked Amanda up and took her upstairs once he and Rue realised that Amanda had given into exhaustion, Finn tucking Amanda into the bed before he looked to Rue._

"_Now that she's not keeping all that pain and anger trapped, she'll feel better." Finn replied quietly._

"_Maybe they meant every word, maybe they didn't… but once what's said or screamed is out, there's no putting it back." Rue responded as Finn glanced back at Amanda and lightly brushed her hair back…_

**Present time**_**, January 18th 2016, Amanda's perspective…**_

"She's going to the top rope again, what is Mandy thinking here?!" I hear Michael respond before hitting the Coup De Grace on Becky and getting the pinfall, the bell ringing and me standing up as Finn got in the ring and we hugged.

Becky rolled out of the ring, managing to stand up as Finn helped me up and… I see Becky's eyes narrow.

This is the first time Becky's ever directed any negativity towards me… something isn't right because I know she's one of Finn's oldest friends.

I don't know what I did to her but she usually wrestles at a controlled pace… tonight, she nearly ripped my right arm off.

"Bhí Ashley ceart, ní léiríonn tú dílseacht!" Becky retorted after we got into the backstage area.

"Soithín beag suite Ashley! Ní fhaca sí mé ach mar theaghlach nuair a bhain sí tairbhe as!" I responded angrily, Finn and Rue keeping us from killing each other.

"Socraigh síos, an bheirt agaibh. Becca, níl Ashley ag iarraidh Mandy mórthimpeall air mura dtéann Mandy ar ais chuici siúd a bhí sí gach bliain ó shin. Scanraithe, ina n-aonar agus briste." Finn explained, Becky's eyes widening… and her pulling me into a hug.

"Mandy, tá brón orm gur chreid mé í leat." Becky apologized.

"All is forgiven." I responded.

"Good, you're speaking English again! You know, Finn, I sometimes think you taught her Irish just to mess with everyone else." Rue replied.

"He might've." Becky responded as Finn helped me move my right arm. "Let's get that arm checked over." She replied.

With an ice pack taped to my arm, I felt my nerves edge off a bit… and I knew that Ashley's vindictive side had emerged.

I clipped my hair up after taking off the ice pack and stripped my ring gear, socks, underwear and bra off once I was in the restroom and had set my clothes off to the side… and got into the shower, grabbing my loofah and blackberry scented body wash before turning on the water and cleaning myself off once I had closed the bottle.

I rinsed the soap off and put the detachable shower head back on its hook once I turned the water off… and I dried myself off before wrapping the oversized towel around my body and exiting the shower.

I get dressed and let my hair down before joining Finn and the two of us hugging.

"How does a few stiff drinks sound after Raw is over, Darlin'?" Finn asked.

"Count me in." I responded, Finn kissing my forehead.

We both need to unwind.


End file.
